When War Breaks Children: Six-Year-Old Girl Loses Leg Amid War in DRC
Grace, the daughter of Maman Louise, had fled her home in Masisi with her mother and sister in search of safety after M23 rebels invaded their region.
Like many families caught in the conflict, they sought refuge in Goma, hoping that the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camps would offer some protection from the brutality they had already witnessed. But safety proved elusive.
As fighting broke out near the IDP sites, panic spread through the camps. Maman Louise, gripped by fear, took her daughters and attempted to flee further south. It was during this desperate escape that tragedy struck. Grace was involved in an accident, an eventuality that would forever alter her life.
She was rushed to Centre Hospitalier Bethesda (CHB), where doctors were forced to make a hard decision to amputate her legs to save her life due to the severity of her injuries.
The procedure saved Grace, but at a great cost.
Her family, already reeling from displacement, now faces the emotional and physical trauma of her injury. Grace is still recovering, both physically and emotionally, from the loss. Her mother, trying to remain strong for her daughters, is overwhelmed by sorrow and uncertainty.
Like Grace and her mother Maman Louise, many children and mothers across the conflict areas like DRC, South Sudan, and Sudan continue to bear the brutal weight of conflict.
CMS-Africa and her partners is working to equip people in Eastern DRC and Northern South Sudan with skills to help them be more resilient to conflicts, promote peaceful coexistence, and disciple Christians in these challenging environments.The mission agency conducted an emergency response in Goma, reaching over 10,000 victims of violence.